U.S. Pat. No. 7,461,976 (Glaesener et al.) discloses a flexible shoe assembly for use in a molding system. The clamp unit of a molding system includes a moving platen and a stationary platen supported by a frame. Tie bars interconnect the moving platen with the stationary platen. The tie bars are secured to the stationary platen and pass through respective openings in the moving platen. Each tie bar is supported and guided within their respective openings by a flexible shoe assembly and wear pad. The flexible shoe assembly has a force redirector for directing force away from a peripheral edge of the wear pad towards a central force area. The flexible shoe assembly also includes a load distributor to distribute the load across the wear pad surface. The flexible shoe assembly includes an upper support that is flexible about a lower support to keep the wear pad in operational contact with the tie bar.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,723 (Glaesener et al.) discloses an injection molding machine that includes a stationary platen including at least one stationary mold half and a first moveable platen. The first moveable platen is moveable relative to the stationary platen and has a second mold half adapted to engage the stationary mold half to for a first mold. A second moveable platen may also be provided which is moveable toward the stationary platen and includes a third mold half adapted to engage a fourth mold half included with one of the stationary platen and the first moveable platen. The third and fourth mold halves form a second mold. Each of the first and second molds having a hot runner leading thereto and an injection unit is provided for delivering melt to the hot runners of the first and second molds. The machine also includes tie bars extending between and connecting the stationary platen and the moveable platens. At least one of the first and, if used, the second moveable platen and stationary platen includes a mechanism for securing at least one of the tie bars. The mechanism for securing comprises an engagement mechanism for placing the mechanism for securing into and out of locking engagement with at least one of the tie bars such that when the engagement mechanism is out of locking engagement with the at least one tie bar, the mechanism for securing and the at least one tie bar are relatively moveable.